The present disclosure generally relates to mattress assemblies and, more particularly, to mattress assemblies including a matrix of independently movable foam padded plungers.
Standard mattress designs have evolved very little in the past fifty years. A standard mattress generally includes a set of metal coil springs mounted either on a base under a pad, or sandwiched between a pair of pads. The metal springs and pad or pads are then covered with a batting material. The entire structure is then sewn into a cloth cover and the edges are wrapped and sewn. Thus, once the mattress is fabricated, the components are not replaceable. Due to the size and inherent firmness of the metal springs, spring-based mattresses exhibit a limited ability to conform to a person's body contour, which is improved only with great difficulty. While the independent coil springs are designed to compress under a person's body weight to match the surface of the mattress to the contour of the person's body to some extent, many users still experience pressure points in certain body locations, particularly when not lying flat on their backs, leading to unnatural body positions and restless sleep.
The limitations of metal spring mattresses combined with improved quality and durability of foam products has led to the relatively recent development of the foam core mattress as a viable alternative to the coil spring mattress. A foam core mattress can provide significant improvements in body contour, elimination of pressure points, and improved comfort and support compared to conventional spring-based mattresses. A basic foam mattress typically includes one or more layers of foam having desirable properties assembled into a fabric cover which often appears identical to a standard metal spring mattress. A foam mattress may include a center core of relatively high resilience foam sandwiched between two layers of lower resilience foam encased in a fabric shell. This construction allows for a reversible mattress.
While foam mattresses overcome some of the disadvantages of coil spring mattresses, they exhibit other disadvantages including excessive firmness, difficulty adjusting the firmness, and a lack of air flow through the foam core trapping body heat within the mattress. There is, therefore, a continuing need for improved mattress designs overcoming the disadvantages of coil spring and foam mattresses.